Citizen Sailors, By Glyn Prysor

"Ships, not their sailors, are too often seen as the main characters [of the war at sea]", writes Prysor. He rebuts such misperceptions in this account of the Second World War seen through the eyes of Royal Navy personnel. Surprises abound.

A submariner admires the U-boat that sank the Royal Oak: "An amazing performance." A captain coolly regards his injuries: "That meat was a bit of me!"

In 1941, HMS Prince of Wales delivered Churchill and victuals including "90 out-of-season grouse" to Newfound-land. Vivid and poignant, this is a panorama of a transglobal, multi-faceted combat.

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